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978-0-521-69248-9 - Common Mistakes at KET: And How to Avoid Them

Liz Driscoll
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1 When do I use full stops and when do I use commas?

1 Tick the correct sentence in each pair.
1 a I would like to sell a computer, it’s two years old.
b I would like to sell a computer. It’s two years old.
2 a Cardiff, which is in Wales, is very interesting.
b Cardiff which is in Wales is very interesting.

A sentence always begins with a capital letter and ends with a full stop (unless it is a
question). All sentences have a subject (a person or thing doing the action):
The plane arrived at 10.30 pm. It was an hour late. (The plane, It = subject)

We use a comma to show a short pause which separates parts of a sentence:

• in a list: There’s a bed, a wardrobe, a table and two chairs in my room.
• in a procedure: Go down this street, turn right at the junction and it’s on the left.
• before for example, like and such as: There are many places to visit, like the lake.
• before but, so, then: I like my bike, but I’m selling it.
• at the end of the first part of a sentence which begins with if, when, after, before,
while: If I see the book I want, I will buy it.
• before extra information (and after it if there is no full stop): I like my room, which
is nice and light. My room, which is nice and light, is very small.
• between a name and a description: I want to buy Face2Face, an English book.
• before question tags: You can look at your map, OK? It’s nice weather, isn’t it?
A comma cannot separate two sentences.

2 Correct the mistake below. I’ve got a new computer.

Because my old one
was very slow.

I’ve got a new ........................................ one was very slow.

3 Add full stops and commas. Sometimes there are two sentences.
1 You must weigh the rice, wash it and soak it in water.
2 I want a pen friend in another country for example Australia
3 Before you leave England go and visit Oxford I love it
4 We saw Syriana a film by George Clooney
5 My flatmate who is from Russia is very nice
6 I’ve got a sister two brothers and a cousin I haven’t got any pets
7 I’m going to buy a car so I don’t need a bike
8 We waited ten minutes then we decided to walk
5

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978-0-521-69248-9 - Common Mistakes at KET: And How to Avoid Them
Liz Driscoll
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2 When must I use I?

1 Tick the correct sentence in each pair.
1 a You are coming here and am very happy.
b You are coming here and I am very happy.
2 a I think will do my homework.
b I think I will do my homework.

In general, we use subject pronouns (I, you, he, she, etc.) before verbs. This is because
verb forms (play/plays, played, have/has played, etc.) refer to many different people
(I play / you play / we play / they play, etc.). In addition, we always use I with am:
My friend and I enjoyed the film. She liked the story and I liked the acting.

You don’t need to use the subject pronoun in the second (and third) part of a sentence
when the subject is the same as in the first part and the verb is in the same tense:
I got up late, had a shower and then went out for breakfast.

We always use a pronoun after the verbs hope and think:

I hope you are OK. I think I’ll sell my coat.

We always use a pronoun after because, but and so:

I got up late because I was very tired.

Remember to include the pronoun it at the beginning of sentences like these:

It’s nearly six o’clock, so it’s time to go. It was nice to see you again.

2 Correct the mistake below. I am tired, so decided

to stay in bed all day.

I am tired, ........................................ all day.

3 Rewrite the sentences using I.

1 I am hoping to see you soon.
am hoping to see you soon. ..........................................................................................................
2 think will go into town and buy a shirt. .....................................................................................
3 bought the book, because liked the film. ..................................................................................
4 my grandparents died and was very sad. ..................................................................................
5 can play tennis, but don’t play very well. ..................................................................................
6 am tired today, so will sleep well tonight. .................................................................................
7 put the book on the shelf and left the library. .........................................................................
8 hope will see you soon. ..................................................................................................................
6

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Cambridge University Press
978-0-521-69248-9 - Common Mistakes at KET: And How to Avoid Them
Liz Driscoll
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3 When can I use an apostrophe before s (’s)?

1 Tick the correct sentence in each pair.
1 a I like this book. Its very useful.
b I like this book. It’s very useful.
2 a My sister’s name is Maribel.
b My sisters’ name is Maribel.

We use ’s as the short form of is and the short form of has in has got/been, etc. when
we speak and when we write informally:
I go to the market because it’s very cheap. (it’s = it is)
Brighton is interesting and it’s got very good shops. (it’s = it has)
Note that its (without an apostrophe) means ‘belonging to it’: The lion ate its food.

We don’t use short forms at the end of sentences:

‘What time is it?’ ‘It’s four o’clock.’
‘Has your mum gone out?’ ‘Yes, she has.’ (not ‘Yes, she’s.’)

We also use ’s in let’s:

I’m hungry. Let’s have something to eat.
Note that ’m is the short form of am. Other short forms include ’re (are), ’ve (have),
’ll (will), ’d (had and would) and n’t (not).

We also use ’s to mean ‘belonging to one person or animal’. We use of for things:
I didn’t go to my cousin’s house last night. (= the house of one cousin)
Write your name at the top of the page. (not Write your name at the page’s top.)
Note that cousins’ house means ‘the house of two or more cousins’.

2 Correct the mistake below.

You think it isn’t
cold, but it’s.

You think it isn’t cold, ........................................ .

3 Rewrite the sentences with short forms where possible.

The sea’s ... it’s great
1 The sea is very clear and it is great for swimming. .................................................................
2 What has that girl got in her hands? ...........................................................................................
3 You are not pleased with your marks, but we are. ..................................................................
4 I know! Let us go shopping and buy some clothes. ...............................................................
5 ‘What date is it today?’ ‘I think it is the eighth.’ ....................................................................
6 The book has got a nice title, but I do not like its cover. ......................................................
7 ‘Hello. Who is speaking?’ ‘It is Jane.’ .........................................................................................
8 The city is very nice and it has got lots of parks. ....................................................................
7

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978-0-521-69248-9 - Common Mistakes at KET: And How to Avoid Them
Liz Driscoll
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TESTTest 1
1 Add the words in brackets to the sentences. Use commas where necessary.
1

2
3

4
7
6 8
5

1 I’ve got two sandwiches ........................................ and a drink for lunch. (an apple)
2 I’ve got my keys ........................................ ? (haven’t I)
3 I like foreign food ........................................ and pizza. (such as pasta)
4 After I left the nightclub ........................................ . (I went home)
5 My friend ........................................ sits next to me. (who is nice)
6 Peel the carrots ........................................ and then put them in the pan. (chop them)
7 My jacket’s new ........................................ . (so I wear it all the time)
8 I’m selling my guitar ........................................ and in good condition. (which is two
years old)

2 Tick (✓) the correct sentence in each pair.

1 a I can write once a week. Is this OK for you? ...............
b I can write once a week, is this OK for you? ...............
2 a Cambridge is an interesting place. Because it’s got a university. ...............
b Cambridge is an interesting place because it’s got a university. ...............
3 a Let’s meet near Piero’s, the Italian restaurant. ...............
b Let’s meet near Piero’s the Italian restaurant. ...............
4 a I get up at seven o’clock. It is dark. ...............
b I get up at seven o’clock, it is dark. ...............
5 a Edinburgh is nice, but its very windy. ...............
b Edinburgh is nice, but it’s very windy. ...............
6 a I know someone who’s got a guitar. ...............
b I know someone, who’s got a guitar. ...............
7 a I was there, but I didn’t see my friends. ...............
b I was there. But I didn’t see my friends. ...............
8 a I like music. So I’ve got a lot of CDs. ...............
b I like music, so I’ve got a lot of CDs. ...............
8

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978-0-521-69248-9 - Common Mistakes at KET: And How to Avoid Them
Liz Driscoll
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3 Rewrite the sentences using I, it or we. Use short forms where possible.
1
is very hot today .................................................................................................................

2 are looking forward to your visit ...................................................................................

3 maybe will meet our friends ...........................................................................................

4 don’t want my bread, so you can have .........................................................................

5 like our new car because

................................................................................................
has got air conditioning

6
is dark, so need my torch ................................................................................................

7
were at home last night ....................................................................................................

8
am buying because costs very little .................................................................................

4 Write sentences. Use apostrophes (’) where necessary.

1 i t s h a l f p a s t t h r e e .................................................................................................................
2 m y b r o t h e r s j o b i s b o r i n g ..............................................................................................
3 i c a n t r e m e m b e r i t s n a m e ..............................................................................................
4 l e t s h a v e l u n c h .......................................................................................................................
5 i t s a t t h e b a c k o f t h e b o o k ...............................................................................................
6 h i s c a r s g o t f o u r d o o r s .....................................................................................................
7 w e r e n o t h a p p y h e r e ...........................................................................................................
8 t h a t s m y f r i e n d s p e n ..........................................................................................................

5 Are the sentences right or wrong? Correct those which are wrong.
1 Go and see the film. I’m sure you’ll like. ...................................................................................
2 I like my room It’s quite big. .........................................................................................................
3 We went to the end of the street. .................................................................................................
4 What date’s it? ....................................................................................................................................
5 I’ve got my dads’ watch. .................................................................................................................
6 I like fruit, for example grapes. ....................................................................................................
7 I do’nt like classical music. ............................................................................................................
8 I’m hungry. I think will have something to eat. .......................................................................
9

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Cambridge University Press
978-0-521-69248-9 - Common Mistakes at KET: And How to Avoid Them
Liz Driscoll
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4 Do I need a in this sentence?

1 Tick the correct sentence in each pair.
1 a I went to party last night.
b I went to a party last night.
2 a Oxford is a very old city.
b Oxford is very old city.

We use a with singular countable nouns:

I want to buy a camera for my mother.

We use an before singular countable nouns beginning with the vowels a, e, i and o:
I eat an apple every day.

We also use a and an before an adjective + noun:

Budapest is a beautiful city. It’s an interesting place.

We do not use a and an before an adjective if there isn’t a noun:

Budapest is a beautiful city. It’s an interesting place because it’s old.

We use an before most nouns and adjectives that begin with u (an umbrella / an
uncle, an uncomfortable chair / an ugly building). However, when a word begins with
a /j/ sound, we use a and not an:
We’re studying a unit about ‘a’ and ‘an’.
I don’t wear a uniform at work.
A dishwasher is a useful machine.

2 Correct the mistake below. I’m staying in

lovely hotel.

I’m staying ........................................ hotel.

3 Rewrite the end of these sentences using the words in brackets. Use a or an.
a famous actor
1 Keanu Reeves is famous. (actor) ........................................
2 Spain is interesting. (country) ........................................
3 It was fantastic! (match) ........................................
4 London is expensive. (city) ........................................
5 My best friend is lazy. (person) ........................................
6 That’s great! (idea) ........................................
7 I live in a block of flats. (ugly) ........................................
8 Who’s good? (student) ........................................
10

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978-0-521-69248-9 - Common Mistakes at KET: And How to Avoid Them
Liz Driscoll
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5 A or the?
1 Tick the correct sentence in each pair.
1 a I like the living room in my house because it’s very big.
b I like a living room in my house because it’s very big.
2 a I go to a dentist twice a year.
b I go to the dentist twice a year.

We use a:
• after there is: There’s a park and a swimming pool near my house.
• to mention a person or thing for the first time: I’ve got a friend from Rome.
• to describe what we do: I’m a student. My dad’s a teacher.
• to describe ourselves: I’m a Chelsea supporter. My brother’s a clever boy.

We use the:
• to mention a person or thing for the second time: I walk through the park every
day, but I don’t go to the swimming pool very often.
• when it is clear which person or thing we are talking about: I like my class. The
teacher is very good.
• when there is only one person or thing: I do my homework in the living room.
• for places in a town (but not after there is): the cinema / the theatre / the bank /
the post office / the library / the station (also the airport)
• for services: the doctor / the dentist / the optician / the hairdresser

2 Correct the mistake below.

I can see you
at a bus stop.

I can see you ........................................ .

3 Add a and the to these sentences.

a cake and .............
1 I bought ............. a banana, but I didn’t eat .............
the banana.
2 In my town, there’s ............. bank and ............. cinema near ............. station.
3 I know nothing about plants. I need to get ............. book from ............. library.
4 My uncle’s ............. doctor. He works in ............. hospital in Canada.
5 Sydney is ............. big city, but it isn’t ............. capital of Australia.
6 My brother’s ............. goalkeeper on his team. He’s ............. good footballer.
7 I work in ............. shop in ............. city centre.
8 I switched off ............. light and closed ............. door.
11

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978-0-521-69248-9 - Common Mistakes at KET: And How to Avoid Them
Liz Driscoll
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6 Do I need the in this sentence?

1 Tick the correct sentence in each pair.
1 a I work in an office in Milton Street.
b I work in an office in the Milton Street.
2 a New York is the largest city in United States.
b New York is the largest city in the United States.

We use the:
• with the names of cafés, hotels, restaurants, cinemas, theatres and museums:
I’ll be at the ABC café. I went to the Playhouse. I like the British Museum.
• with names which include of:
You can go to the Bank of England and the Houses of Parliament.
• with some famous place names: the White House, the Empire State Building, the
Parthenon, the Vatican, the Kremlin, the Eiffel Tower, the London Eye
• in the United Kingdom (the UK) and the United States (the USA)

We also use the with seas (the Mediterranean Sea), oceans (the Pacific Ocean), rivers
(the [River] Amazon), islands (the Bahamas) and mountains (the Andes).

We use the with north/south/east/west for location. We don’t use the for direction:
Verona is in the north of Italy. It is east of Milan and west of Venice.

We don’t use the with street names or the names of stations, churches, airports, etc.:
King’s Cross Station is in Euston Road. Westminster Abbey is in Parliament Square.

2 Correct the mistake below. My local cinema

is Odeon.

My ........................................ Odeon.

3 Add the to these sentences. Sometimes you need to add it twice.

the USA
1 I was in USA last week, but now I’m in Canada. ........................................
2 Pedro works in Olympic Hotel near Oxford Street. ........................................
3 Sweden is in north of Europe, north of Denmark. ........................................
4 Have you been to Tower of London? ........................................
5 Natural History Museum is in west of London. ........................................
6 We went to Trafalgar Square and National Gallery. ........................................
7 Canary Islands are in Atlantic Ocean. ........................................
8 London Eye is next to River Thames. ........................................
12

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978-0-521-69248-9 - Common Mistakes at KET: And How to Avoid Them
Liz Driscoll
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TESTTest 2
1 Put the words in the correct order. Add a or an to each sentence.
1 I / TV / watched / film / on
................................................................................................................................................................
2 grapes / have / and / I’ll / some / orange
................................................................................................................................................................
3 Milan / great / place / is
................................................................................................................................................................
4 Spanish / Picasso / was / artist
................................................................................................................................................................
5 got / has / university / Edinburgh
................................................................................................................................................................
6 enormous / Brazil / country / is
................................................................................................................................................................
7 I’ve / and / got / brothers / two / sister
................................................................................................................................................................
8 unusual / is / name / Jania
................................................................................................................................................................

2 Complete one sentence in each pair with a and the other with the.
1 a My cousin wants to be .............. hairdresser when she leaves school.
b I went to .............. hairdresser on Monday.

2 a Excuse me. Is there .............. post office near here?

b I’ll get some stamps at .............. post office.

3 a .............. student who writes the best story will win the prize.
b .............. student in my class was hurt in an accident last week.

4 a You’ll find .............. bathroom at the top of the stairs, on the right.
b Each bedroom has .............. bathroom with a jacuzzi.

5 a Who’s .............. man with red hair over there?

b I saw .............. man in the street with red hair.

6 a There’s .............. cinema in my town.

b I go to .............. cinema every week.

7 a There’s someone at .............. door. Can you open it?

b There’s .............. door in the corner of the room into the kitchen.

8 a Do you know .............. woman called Jill?

b I know .............. woman you’re talking about.

13

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978-0-521-69248-9 - Common Mistakes at KET: And How to Avoid Them
Liz Driscoll
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3 Complete this description with a/an and the.

In my room there’s (1) .............. desk

and two chairs. I’ve got (2) ..............
bookcase with three shelves. My
computer games are on (3) .............. top
shelf. I play on (4) .............. computer
every day. I’ve got (5) .............. poster
of (6) .............. Arsenal football team on
one wall. I’m (7) .............. Arsenal
supporter, but I have never been to
(8) .............. match.

4 Write sentences with is or are. Add the to these sentences. Sometimes you need to
use it twice.
1 British Museum / in / Great Russell Street
................................................................................................................................................................
2 Mexico / south of / United States
................................................................................................................................................................
3 London Eye / near / Waterloo Station
................................................................................................................................................................
4 Statue of Liberty / in / New York
................................................................................................................................................................
5 Belfast / in / United Kingdom
................................................................................................................................................................
6 Andes / in / west of South America
................................................................................................................................................................
7 Dorchester / a famous hotel in / London
................................................................................................................................................................
8 Canary Islands / in / Atlantic Ocean
................................................................................................................................................................

5 Are the sentences right or wrong? Correct those which are wrong.
1 I’m reading the book about France. ............................................................................................
2 The zoo in San Diego is very famous. ........................................................................................
3 I bought two cakes, but I didn’t eat smaller one. ....................................................................
4 My dad’s good cook. ........................................................................................................................
5 I visited the Acropolis in Athens. .................................................................................................
6 This is awful place. ...........................................................................................................................
7 I’ve put your suitcase in a hall. .....................................................................................................
8 Oxford is on River Thames. ...........................................................................................................

14

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